The Voice of Southwest Louisiana August 2017 Issue

More documents

Recommendations

Info

SWLA WOMEN IN BUSINESS 8 August 2017 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM Volume 5 • Number 1
Caring for Aging Parents with Diabetes Advice for families and caregivers By Lisa Walker, MSN, APRN, CNS and CEO of Health Systems 2000 Diabetes is a disease in which the body either doesn’t make enough insulin –a hormone the body needs to convert sugar to energy –or doesn’t use it properly. According to Lisa Walker, MSN, APRN, CNS and CEO of Health Systems 2000 education of both the patient and caregiver can be important in recognizing warning signs before a crisis occurs. Learn all you can about the disease so that you can recognize warning signs that your parent’s blood sugar levels are out of balance and that you are able to discuss it knowledgeably with your parent and his/her doctor. There are three main types of diabetes: type1,usually diagnosed in childhood, occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, which is needed for cells to take in and process glucose (sugar); type 2, usually diagnosed in adulthood, occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin, in addition to not having enough of it to keep blood glucose at a normal level; and gestational diabetes, which occurs in about 4 percent of pregnant women and refers to a high blood glucose level that usually is a temporary condition. Since some personality changes, such as crankiness and argumentativeness, can indicate that blood sugar levels are unbalanced, it is important to educate yourself, and others who will be with your parent, about these signs. If people who are responsible in caring for them recognize these signs, hopefully they will immediately encourage your parent to check his or her levels. Signs of high blood sugar --usually due to having eaten too much, being under stress, or having too little insulin in the body -include: frequent need to urinate, nausea, extreme thirst, or hunger, blurred vision, signs of lowblood sugar --usually due to not having eaten enough, or having exercised too much --include: shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat, anxiety, dizziness, hunger weakness, and tiredness. Encourage your parent to follow the doctor’s advice, to carefully monitor glucose levels and make the necessary dietary changes. If you eat with your parent, try to follow the same diet to show your solidarity. This way your parent won’t feel deprived by seeing you eat something he or she shouldn’t. Also, if you live together, or if you shop for your parent, don’t buy food he or she should not eat. Exercise can help in several ways. It has been shown to improve glucose tolerance --meaning that blood sugars are controlled with Lisa Walker less medication; lowers the chance of developing serious complications from diabetes; helps the body manage stress; helps with weight control, which is an important part of diabetes treatment; and it decreases one’s risk of getting diabetes in the first place. If your parents need further teaching your doctor may order diabetic education through a facility or through a skilled nurse with a home health agency. For more information on a home health evaluation for your parent call Home Health Care 2000 439-5444. Volume 5 • Number 1 WWW.THEVOICEOFSOUTHWESTLA.COM August 2017 9
Page 1 and 2: August 2017 Vol 5 No 1 SWLA WOMEN I
Page 3 and 4: editor’s By Brenda Hill Our commu
Page 5 and 6: SWLA news Editor's Note: This is th
Page 7: SWLA WOMEN IN BUSINESS The place wh
Page 11 and 12: COUNTERPOINT VACCINES and AUTISM In
Page 13 and 14: met our mother, the late Mrs. Lucil
Page 15 and 16: Dr. Carl W. Ross, Jr., M.D. Family
Page 17 and 18: We Start With Nature We believe tha
Page 19 and 20: Faces of The Voice By: Tori Hebert
Page 21 and 22: You can’t always predict the weat
Page 23 and 24: conversation about healthcare. Plea
Page 25 and 26: ADVENTURES of the Lake Back to Scho
Page 27 and 28: Small & Emerging Business Developme

The Voice of Southwest Louisiana August 2017 Issue

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?